North Staffordshire is a fantastic part of the world. I have the honour of representing the constituency of Staffordshire Moorlands, which covers most of the District and part of Newcastle-under-Lyme Borough, and of course all of which is within the County Council area of Staffordshire. This means that I see how various parts of local government work. Our Town and Parish Councils add more layers, meaning that decisions are taken at the right level and as locally as possible.
For example, our Town and Parish Councils are responsible for things like our Remembrance Day services and how we mark Christmas, meaning that the individual personalities of each town and village can shine through.
District and Borough Councils decide on other matters, such as waste collections and planning decisions, meaning that those services are right for the area. And the County Council manages those matters that are best done on a larger scale, like children’s services and highways.
This tiered system of local government works – it means that the people making the decisions live in the area and that they have a stake in getting decisions right.
I saw the debate that Biddulph Town Council held recently to discuss whether the town wanted to move away from this system and instead go into a local authority area with our neighbours in Stoke-on-Trent. I was pleased to see such a proposal rejected by Biddulph Town Council. I would be implacably opposed to any suggestion of a North Staffordshire Unitary Authority including the Moorlands, Newcastle and Stoke. That is not to say that we shouldn’t work with our friends in neighbouring authorities, including in Cheshire and Derbyshire, where it is in all our interests. But I give you my word, that I will fight any plans to force us into a unitary authority, against our will.
